Presented in conjunction with the exhibtion The Last Days of Pompeii: Decadence, Apocalypse, Resurrection on view through January 7, 2013, this program examines how Pompeii and other ancient sites destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 have been an obsession for modern writers and artists from the eighteenth century to the present. Speakers explore topics such as fictional heroines, spectacular reenactments, virtual reality reconstructions, and Pompeii in modern and contemporary art and film.

John Seydl, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
"Pompeii and Trauma in European Postwar Sculpture"

Nick Yablon, University of Iowa, Iowa City
"The 'Eruptive Sublime': American Visions of Pompeii, 1879-1914"

Adrian Stähli, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
"The Last Days of Pompeii in Cinema"

Mary Beard, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom (respondent)

Planning your visit
The Getty Villa and its galleries are open to the general public from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. With your program ticket, you may arrive up to one hour prior to the start time of the program. For earlier arrival, a separate general admission ticket is recommended. The auditorium opens at 12:30 p.m. and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The Cafe is open for lunch service from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., and the Museum Store is open until 5:30 p.m.

How to Get Here
The Getty Villa is located at 17985 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California, approximately 25 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. See Hours, Directions, Parking for directions and parking information.